Work of art

We hear much about the expansion of procurement’s role, its growing influence, but how about the evidence?

In the latest issue of SM we explore the role of buyers who work in galleries and museums, a relatively new sphere to be in. As the British Museum’s head of procurement Mike Lewis tells us: “The museum has been in existence for 250 years, whereas professional procurement only really came into business in the 1980s. It’s a new institution. There’s plenty of opportunity to introduce best practice.”

His peers agree this field of buying remains “in its infancy” – but are there any spend areas left that remain untouched by purchasing?